It’s easy to imagine that had he lived more than 34 years, Englishman Joe Orton would today be on the short list of the most important, creative playwrights of the 20th century.

His small canon of work is widely praised for its groundbreaking nature, in particular “What the Butler Saw,” which adheres to the farce genre while successfully satirizing social and political norms.

While Orton provided a wealth of humorous and thoughtful material in his last play, translating it to the stage is no easy feat. But San Pedro’s Little Fish Theatre Company mines most of what’s available, thanks to Melanie Jones’ tight direction and a solid ensemble working toward the same goal of making the audience laugh.

“What the Butler Saw,” like most farces, takes a simple detour from the norm in the first scene, which creates ever-increasing insanity.

In this case, the incident is psychiatrist Dr. Prentice (Rodney Rincon) getting caught by his nymphomaniac wife, Mrs. Prentice (Suzanne Dean), while he’s in the middle of seducing the unwitting Geraldine Barclay (Rebecca Sigl), who is there to interview for a job as the doctor’s secretary.

Before Geraldine can put her clothes back on, Dr. Rance (Mark A. Cross) arrives. A government inspector, Rance is there to check on Prentice’s clinic.

Add bellhop Nicholas (Brandon Leyton), who is trying to blackmail Mrs. Prentice with compromising photos of her, and a hapless police Sergeant (Chris Aron), and you have the ingredients for enough misidentifications and misunderstandings to fill two hours.

Orton’s farce is elevated by not simply poking fun at human foibles, but by skewering the medical and psychological fields, as well as the malfunctions of the government. In fact, “What the Butler Saw” feels timely, given the recent doublespeak and heated debates regarding health care reform.

Orton deals frankly with same-sex relationships. He also pushes the boundaries of taste, making jokes out of rape and death, though somehow he manages to keep it lighthearted.

For Orton’s comedy to click, the pace must be racecar fast. Jones and her cast crawl through the first several minutes, but by the end of the first act they are hitting on all cylinders. And by the climax, the door slams and barely clothed actors sprinting across the stage resemble a well-choreographed dance.

There are several strong performances, led by Cross, who maintains a deadpan delivery as the government inspector who makes decisions without logic or facts. Cross never takes the easy route of acting ridiculous, which is why his humor works so well.

Sigl also receives well-earned laughs as Geraldine. She maintains a na ve attitude that makes it easy to have sympathy for Geraldine while also laughing every time she’s ordered to remove her clothes.

The production’s anchor is Rincon, who as Dr. Prentice serves as the eye of the storm. By the middle of the second act, Rincon sports a disheveled, defeated look, as though he just wants to disappear.

Deborah Huntley’s doctor’s office set makes the most of the Little Fish space, so there’s enough room for the highly physical comedy.

And Jones’ direction is able to block all of the action so there’s a good view of what’s going on from every seat, which means everyone can enjoy the rousing raucous time.

Jones said she chose “What the Butler Saw,” in part, because the theater is warm in the summer and Orton’s characters are frequently in their underwear. Whatever the reason, the choice turns out to be a winner.